Saturday, March 18, 2017

BOOM TOWN

On a jungled hillside overlooking the Bay of Banderas, I could see the white, frothy splash of a breaching whale and the large, wet exhalation of another one. A week ago and quite by accident, I was swimming approximately 30 meters from two or three humpback whales. I have never seen so many as I have this winter. These beautiful, intelligent cetaceans are in a very safe and beautiful place in which to breed and give birth. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2124149-never-before-seen-gatherings-of-hundreds-of-humpback-whales/

NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR CETACEANS: TAIJI, JAPAN - Ric O´Barry´s Dolphin Project reports the following:

"This season, a total of 34 drives took place, involving six species of dolphins. We estimate approximately 569 dolphins were slaughtered, while 235 were taken captive. Many more may have died as a result of the drives themselves, their numbers never recorded."

PRIMAVERA TREE- PUERTO VALLARTA

Puerto Vallarta is blooming with the bright, yellow blossoms of primavera ("spring") trees. And the town is booming in the midst of a building frenzy, primarily in the touristic areas of "old town" and the "zona romántica," both near near los muertos beach. Tall cranes, jackhammers and tractors are doing their work on what were once empty lots (the one across from the isla cuale was where several discarded cats lived), mostly-empty parking lots and villas that are being torn down. One regrets the loss of old Vallarta-style homes, whether they are elegant villas or humble adobes.

ZONA ROMÁNTICA Y VIEJO VALLARTA

VALLARTA VIEJO

We are watching the condominiumization of Puerto Vallarta, This is not just about the loss of the old Puerto Vallarta look. There is a serious concern that the current infrastructure cannot support this much expansion.

CONSTRUYENDO MUCHOS CONDOS EL LOS ÁREAS DE LA ZONA ROMÁNTICA

Y VIEJO VALLARTA - CERCA DE PLAYA LOS MUERTOS

"ANIMAL WELLBEING" OFFICE OF MAYOR´S OFFICE: At their request, I met on March 7th with Armando Rubio of the acopio (a vet and lawyer) and Silvia Alvarez, coordinator of Bien Estar Animal ("Animal Wellbeing"), a local government office. One of the items on their agenda:

CENSUS - Government census to be taken in a given colonia (probably Pitillal) sometime in May in order to determine number of pets owned and approximate number of street animals. Approximately 10 students will be the ones doing the survey and submitting numbers to the government. Fifteen days is estimated time to accomplish this.

SAN JUAN DE ABAJO, NAYARIT:

ENTRANDO SAN JUAN DE ABAJO

It is an hour´s drive northeast of Puerto Vallarta, and one I made six months ago to the same home on calle Jesús Casas. I drove slowly over the many speed bumps on the road going east at the freeway stoplight in Mezcales, which is half way to Sayulita. The small towns are clean and similar in size and look - always a bandstand and church at the central plaza. Palm trees and corn fields line the two-lane, paved road leading to the arched entrance of San Juan de Abajo.

Surgeries had been completed by noon, and some of the volunteers and vet team were already seated at a long table enjoying a delicious meal of grilled corn, carne asada, vegetables, quesadillas, fresh fruit and agua de guayava. The communities outside Vallarta are especially grateful for the clinics and thank PEACEAnimals by always providing lunches and volunteers.

SAN JUAN DE ABAJO

We would appreciate more involvement at the clinics in Vallarta colonias. It can involve extra driving time, but it´s a great way to see Mexico and how people and animals live away from palm-lined beaches. It is of course an enormous help to the vet team to have some extra assistance, which results in a higher number of animals sterilized.

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS: Debra Wolfson - $50 USD - "In honor of Matt Messner and Neil Sechan for their generous hospitality and a great visit."Oregon Humane Society - Five kennels in different sizes,T

Pam Lock - 550 "PEACEAnimal" leashes to be given to dog owners who bring their pets to our clinics for spay/neuter..

DESPUÉS DE ESTERILIZACIÓN - CLÍNICA EN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO

CLINIC MARCH 15-18 - Pets for Life team was in San Blas, Nayarit. As a Mexican SC (business), they secure approximately 9 clinics a year, which are paid for either by local governments or animal advocate groups.

EDUCATION PROGRAM: Due to a scheduling conflict, no program presented March 7th.

WITH PEACEANIMALS COLORING BOOK (CON LIBRITO PARA COLOREAR DE PEACEANIMALS)
CLÍNICA EN SAN JUAN DE ABAJO

AS OF MARCH 18, EIGHTEEN PEOPLE HAVE SHARED SMILEAMAZON AND RECEIVED THESE GIFT CERTIFICATES.

NEW!!! Three hundred PEACEAnimals blue mesh shopping/beach bags with,extra-long straps have just arrived. The PEACeAnimals logo and website are on one side and the familiar mermaid on the other. They can be purchased now at board member Lucy Muniz´s Lucy´s CuCu Cabana -295 Basilio Badillo, Galeria Uno at 561 Morelos, Colleción la Bohemia at Constitución and Basilio Badillo, and Galeria Dante at 269 Basilio Badillo. More locations to be added. Price: 200 pesos each. Please help us raise visibility and funds for the clinics.

DONATE WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY: PEACEAnimals is able to receive donations from Amazon Smile under the umbrella of Banderas Bay Charities, Inc. Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organizations selected by their customers. This is a very simple way to help fund our clinics: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4752247
EVEN SIMPLER, LOG ON TO WWW.AMAZONSMILE.ORG AND TYPE IN BANDERAS BAY CHARITIES, INC. (PEACEANIMALS RECEIVES ALL OF THESE DONATIONS).

DESIGNATED LINE WITH RECORDING ADVISING LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS – ONLY IN SPANISH – (322) 113 3955

TO REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE, CALL THE CENTRO DE ACOPIO - 322-223-3690 OR THE POLICE AND ASK FOR THE "GREEN PATROL" ("PATROLLA VERDE")

PETS FOR LIFE SPECIAL ONE-DAY CLINICS ARE HELD ON THE ISLA CUALE THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH. CLINICS OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT 7 AM.

PETS FOR LIFE, A MEXICAN S.C. (BUSINESS), IS PAID 4,500 PESOS FOR THE STERILIZATION OF 30 ANIMALS. IF NUMBERS ARE GREATER, INDIVIDUALS OR ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

For each cat or dog over the number 30, sponsors of the Sunday clinics will be charged 150 pesos. To sponsor a Sunday clinic, please contact: shannon@bestonproperties.comJanuary 8, 2017 - October 2017 - ANONYMOUS DONOR HAS PROVIDED FUNDING (SPAY/NEUTER FOR 30 CATS AND DOGS) TO PEACEANIMALS FOR 10 SUNDAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE.

SAN JUAN DE ABAJO - AFTER SURGERY - DESPUÉS DE CIRUGÍA

WE NEED LOCATIONS FOR OUR CLINICS. REQUIRED: BATHROOM, ELECTRICITY, WATER AND PARKING AVAILABILITY.

NOTE: PEACEAnimals, per our agreement with independent contractors, Pets for Life, is obliged to pay extra for driving time and gasoline for areas outside Puerto Vallarta.We ask that private or government groups pay those extra expenses.

CHIHUAHUAS DESPUÉS DE CIRUGIÁ - SAN JUAN DE ABAJO

PEACEAnimals does not buy advertising or pay for posters, flyers, megaphone announcers or locations. All monies raised go directly to actual costs of the clinics. Dr. Poli, as director of PEACEAnimals, a Mexican AC (non-profit) and Pets for Life, a Mexican SC (business), selects clinic locations.

All pet registration forms with signatures of owners or rescuers are submitted by Dr. Poli to the local department of health, with copies to PEACEAnimals.

.

Clinic schedule, including directions and other clinic information are always on website: www.peaceanimals.org, on this blog and on the PEACEAnimals FaceBook page.

Please "like" PEACEAnimals and Calle Cero on FaceBook.

LUNCH DONATIONS NEEDED FOR VET TEAM.

NECESITAMOS DONACIÓNES DE ALMUERZOS PARA EL EQUIPO.

PEACEAnimals has a lunch budget of 70 pesos per vet team member (four persons) per day - 4 days a week.Please consider donating lunches for them, and please advise so we can create a lunch schedule. By having lunches donated, these savings can used for purchases of supplies and medicines.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

Gretchen DeWitt is president of the board of directors of PEACEAnimals, which was founded in 2011. She was co-founder of the SPCAPV, where she served as president for 18 months before joining the board of directors of PEACE MEXICO. Her focus was raising funds for "Ayuda a los Animales," a free spay/neuter program.